Automobile license plate attaching device



Nov.'3, 1931. y w. H. CARMAN ET AL 1,830,348

ATOMOBLE LICENSE PLATE ATTACHING DEVICE Filed DBC. 3l, 1928 'ILM l`Patented Nov. 3, 1931 i i fUNiTEn "STATES PATENT7 l ori-fica Y. WILLIAMH. C'AEMAM AND VIVIAN K. nAvIsoN, 0F SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA AUTOMOBILELICENSE PLATEATTACHING DEVICE Application filed December 31, i923."semaine` 329,437.

y This invention. relates to certain newand `Useful improvements Inautomobilelicense attaching plates, and has for its primaryy object toprovide an attaching device fortlie y5`above purpose for securelyanchoring the Y license plate in supported position and further beingconstructed as an anti-rattler.

Y A further object of the invention is to provide an automobile licenseplate attachio ing 4device comprising a lieadedbolt and a locking socketfor thebolt', a spring element being associatedr with `the socketmember,

1 together with pawl and ratchet mechanism to accommodate the mountingof the license 1,5 plate upon supporting brackets yoit diverentthicknesses, both ends of the locking device being closed andpermanently interlocked fivith each other, to prevent disengagement andloss of the license plate and necessitat-l m `ing destruction of thelocking device to remove the license plate. With the above and otherobjects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the inventionis better understood, the same 1:1' consists in the novel form',combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described,shown in the accompanying draw- Y Y ings and claimed;

V A In the drawings I Y ,j y "M VFigure 1 is a Vfront elevational viewshowking an automobile license. plate mounted -in positionupona-supporting bracket bythe improved attachingzdevices;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the mount- 'zrf ed license plate e Figure3 is a rear elevational view of oney of they attaching 'devices showingdisposed linner ends of the socket member andenlargedfbolt headof thecooperating bolt mem- -lflr bep; Y i y t A Figure i is a sideelevational View of the a ttacliing member with thesupporting bracketand license plate shown in section; v

Figure is a cross-sectional view taken on -'ff line 5,-5 of Figure 2showing the notched bolt member of the attaching kdevice locked in thevsocket member against removal andy the tensionedfollower havingaspringv connectionwithjthe socketr member; and p' Figure 6'is anenlarged cross-sectional view 56 takenoon line -6-6 of Figure 5 showingtheratchet pawl= carried bythe socket member engaged ina notch formed inthe bolt.

Referring more in'detail to the accompanying drawings, the automobilelicense 553 platefattachingdevice is adapted for permanently anchoringthe'license 'plate 1v onto the supporting bracket 2 in a manner toprevent loss thereof, it being necessary to destroy thev attachingdevicesto. demount the license to plate 1. Eachy attaching deviceriscomposedv of a headed bolt member and a socket member, the lattercomprising parts attachedr togethe to comprise a unit'so that the com#plete attaching device isv comprised of two 65 inter-engaging parts'. i

Each attaching device includes a bolt memberf having a bolt shank 3 witha relatively large dsk'head 4 upon one end, the bolt shank 3 beingpassed through the usual slotted open- 1U.'- ing in the upper edge ofthe license plate-1 andtftoaregistering opening in the supporti Aing'bracket 2 to receive the socket member inthe inner'end thereofy Asshownin Fig-f ureu, the projecting end of the bolt shank T5 3 is providedwitha series of'spaced angulai-V grooves dening taperedsurfaces Sand abut#mentshoulders 6 for 'cooperation' with a ratchet (finger positionedinteriorly of the socket member.

The socket memberl 7 isr` closed at one'end asT at-8 and is providedwith a socket' 9opening at the other end thereof, thesocket 9 beingannularly enlargedas at 10 adjacent its open end and defining ashoulder11. A 85r ratchet'iinger 12:,is anchored at one end interiorly ofthesocket member 7 with the free projecting end thereof extendingintothe bore 9 and directed toward the closedV end Stlieiveoify A coiledspring 13 has one end 90' positioned lin the enlarged portion ofthe bore9 for engagement with the shoulder 11 with the angularly bent end 14thereof anv chored to the socket member'7 as shown in Figure 5. Theotherend of the coil spring 6 is associated with a follower nut 15 having oneend closed with'a central opening therein for the passage of the boltshank 3, while the "l opposite end of the follower nut is provided witha socket 16 to receive the other end of the coil spring 13 and has itsend 17 anchored in the closed end ofthe follower nut 15. The attachingdevice comprisestwo. parts, name`- ly, the headed lbolt and the socketmember comprising they elements 7 and 15 connected bythe'springl. Inmounting the license plate 1 upon the one endA anchored to the socketelement,` a

follower 'nut to vwhich the other end of the spring is anchored, theboltJ being received lin Y the follower nut, spring and socket elements,and a ratchet finger carried by the socketelement to engage in theratchet grooves for permanently connecting the bolt and socket member.v

Y In testimony whereof we aifu our signatures. l

VILLIAM H. CARMAN.

VIVIAN K. VDA'VISON.

Y supporting bracket '2, the bolt shank Bisy passed through thervregistering openings inV s thelicense plate and supporting brackets,

with the head 4f disposed inthe otherside of :say

the license'plate as illustrated inV Figures 1 and 2 ,rwhile/the bolt'shank .3'projects inwardlyof thesupportin'g bracket2 as shown yinyFigure 5.` The socket'memberv isthen mounted uponthe .bolt shankthatfirst passes through the opening in the closed'end of the follower nut15, andalso through the coiled spring 13 toenterthe socket memberr?. Theratchet finger 12 carried by the socket vmember 7'cooperating with thetapering faces 5 andtabutments to rock the socket member upon the boltshank. The follower nut 15 isv moved intof engagementgwith thesupporting bracket V2 andthe desired tension upon the` p les The innerclosed end ofthe socket-member 7 .carries a feltwasher or vgasket 18that may be engaged with the endof the bolt shank 3 during the ymountingof the socketf member uponv the bolt shank. The ratchetnger 12permanently secures theattaching device in' Y assembled relation withthe license plate lperi manently `mounted upon: the supportingr fbraketQ against accidental lossor unauthor-4 ized displacement', itbeing.v understood that 1t is necessary to destroy thev attachingdevicein order tolremovelthe licenseplate 1 from the supporting bracket2.L

' While there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment ofthe -present inventlon,v it. i'sfne'vertheless to be understood thatminor changes maybe madel ytherein and Iscope K without departing Yfromthe spirit of the invention asclaim'edf We claim l An automobile licenseplate att-achingv def Vvice comprising a headed bolt havingcircumferentialratchet grooves therein, a socket` member VKfor the boltincluding a socket element closed vatE one end, a coil lspring havingV

